They say the best pizza in the world is from New York- apparently there's something in the water that makes the slices taste so good. Here in the UK, we don't have special water that you find in NYC, but we do have a lot of contenders that could take either NYC or even Italy's pizza for the crown- and it's all in the topping choices.
Here in Leeds, our best ideas come from the weird and the wonderful. The wackier, the better. And that certainly doesn't stop with pizza.
Here's our favourite places to grab some of the most unusual slices around.
Marmite Pizza from Cuckoo
Image: Cuckoo
The flavours at Cuckoo are truly out of this world and better yet, they come free with every single drink purchased after 5pm. There’s no room for classics- these pizzas are truly unique. The Love or Hate pizza is just one example. Naturally, you’re either going to think this is the world’s greatest pizza or take one bite and nothing more. It’s a marmite base topped with sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.
The Dillmatic is a dill and onion creamy based pizza with mozzarella, Lengonberry Jam, Parmesan and topped with Swedish meatballs or mushrooms, depending on your preference- and sounds like it came straight from the IKEA food canteen. The Homeboys is another of our city’s lockdown success stories and it’s clear that their experimental style and creative flair is continuing to allow them to cook up a storm in the city and beyond.
Thanks to this new pizza, we’ll never have to choose between our favourite varieties of carbs again. Traditionally made from eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper, the age-old favourite of carbonara has made its way onto the menu for good reason- if anything we can’t believe it’s not come to Leeds sooner. A white-sauce base with creamy cheese, parmesan and cured pork meat makes up this tasty meal that will no-doubt have foodies flocking in by the masses.
This new Leeds spot has brought an unusual Italian delicacy, serving Panozza pizza sandwiches. Using Neapolitan Sourdough and traditional Italian fillings, these are really putting Mozza on the map. Popular fillings include a Ricotta cheese, Spianata Calabrese salami, grilled courgettes and extra virgin olive oil – sounds unreal. Also the Italian sausage and Neapolitan broccoli looks delicious, to be honest I want to try them all.
Read More: New Leeds restaurant with pizzas as sandwiches and a mozzarella bar
The Yorkshire Deli’s menu, the metre-long versions will comfortably feed six – so make sure to come hungry. Priced at £40, it’s actually a steal too if you split it six ways. They also have another tempting looking big pizza on their menu, called the Mezzo (£25). A mix between a calzone and a pizza, the menu says: “this one is for the hungry or maybe to share, a ‘HUGE’ pizza combined with a calzone, what’s not to love?”
Known as a panzerotto, the traditional Italian dish is deep fried pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and a choice of toppings- and they’re going down a treat. Luigi's Street Food was up in Trinity Kitchen in January and was paid a visit by Rate My Takeaway legend, Danny Malin. The YouTuber stopped to try out the deep-fried pizza, chicken parmi and other authentic Italian treats and was highly impressed: you can't get a better recommendation in Leeds really.
Disco Kitchen is a new restaurant in Halifax with an ever-changing menu, where everyone is welcome and nothing is off limits. Owners Lisa and Brian opened Disco Kitchen in April as an inclusive space with a unique menu and laid-back atmosphere that makes it the perfect place for unwinding and partying alike. The spaghetti pizza is no exception to the unique menu on offer, we've seen garlic bread burritos, hangover poutine and loads of unique concepts that you wont' see anywhere else.
The dishes at Cuckoo are so incredibly unheard of they've made it on to this list multiple times. There’s also a range of dessert pizzas for those with a sweet tooth. Think Wonka Calzones with Nutella, marshmallows, fudge sauce and cinnamon sugar and PB&J pizzas with peanut butter and jelly spread across. Still not a margarita in sight.
We hope you're ready for your workout, because FaceGym has landed in Leeds.
You may be wondering...what on earth is Facegym? And to be fair, you've got a point.
FaceGym, as they themselves describe it, a 'non-invasive fitness studio concept for the face' using high-intensity facial massage, hand manipulation, and electrical muscle stimulation technology to tone, lift, and sculpt the face without surgery.
Sounds pretty fancy if you ask us, and it feels just as fancy from the moment you step through the door.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Unsurprisingly, it's loved by celebrities worldwide who are looking to get snatched and ditch their gua sha.
Currently occupying five standalone stores in London, one in Cambridge as well as a pop-up in Space NK in Selfridges Manchester, FaceGym will be opening this Friday 18 September inside the coveted Victoria Gate, taking over a 1,772 square foot studio.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The space really does look like a gym, ditching the standard beauty salon aesthetic for an American-style gym interior complete with the iconic red FaceGym balls all over the place.
A signature sculpt costs £110 for a 45 minute treatment, so it's definitely a treat if you're looking to have skin that can reflect the sun and cheekbones for days.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Angelo Castello, chief executive at Facegym, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Facegym to Leeds and to open in the beautiful Victoria Gate. The city has a thriving beauty, wellness, and retail scene, making it the perfect location for our next studio.
“We’ve seen growing demand from customers across Yorkshire, and we can’t wait to introduce even more people to the benefits of facial fitness.”
You can find out more and book a treatment at FaceGym via their website here.
Audio North’s Artist of the Month – Kenzo Jae | September 2026
Thomas Melia
Kenzo Jae is a creative who wants to put Bradford on the music map through his alternative-rap tracksand now he's Audio North's Artist of the Month.
This multi-tasking mastermind doesn't only record his own music, he's also a digital illustrator and graphic designer - Oh, and he even directs his own music videos (Leave some talent for the rest of us - We're begging).
Embarking on The Sloth Tour with three UK based dates in Manchester, Leeds and London throughout October, where Kenzo Jae will be playing out hits like 'Softly', 'Chicken Bagel', 'End of the World' and more.
This storytelling songwriter now sits down with Audio North to chat all things Artist of the Month and share a little more insight into his music career so far.
Audio North's Artist of the Month - Kenzo Jae | Interview
How much does being from Bradford influence the music you release?
All aspects of my personality have been influenced by Bradford, and I’m never more myself than when I’m writing. So lyrically Bradford has had a big impact.
What’s it like being an artist from Bradford?
At first it felt like something I had to hide. Now it’s something I wear as a badge. There’s not many of us in the grand scheme of things. It’s a niche club and I love that. The underdogs.
What northern artists are you loving at the minute?
If you could describe your artistry in three words what would they be and why?
Honest - I try not to hide behind anything in my music even when it’s critical of myself. If something has happened to me or I’m feeling something, I’d rather put it into a song exactly as it is. Might take me a few years but once it’s in the song I can get over it
Colourful - The vision of the world of my music to me feels saturated and bright. the occasional darkness but for the most part.
Arrogant - I think it takes a level of arrogant to do and say certain things in my music. Even to do the visual aspects too painting myself pink, wearing a sloth hat etc Takes an arrogance to think yeah I can put myself in such a weird position and believe it’s going to work
You’ve already amassed over 100k streams on SLOTH - How are you feeling about its reception so far?
It’s been great to see that people have really resonated with the story and the arc I have been on. I want to push it further and hope it reaches everyone that needs it
How fulfilling is it for you to release the SLOTH mixtape, a title you’ve held onto since you were 16?
The most cathartic feeling. Especially when it’s you know you’ve made it exactly the way I intended. It’s also a learning curve for things I will do differently for the next one.
You posted a reel describing how you spent two weeks animating a music video for yourself- How important is being hands-on in all aspects of your music career?
I’m a control freak. And if something is in my head, it’s a lot easier to do it myself. Don’t get me wrong , I work with a lot of hard working talented people that I can now trust and delegate work to. But on this instant, I love animation and I find the most enjoyment in editing visuals
Since you have a track titled ‘Chicken Bagel’, where are some of your favourite brunch or general food spots in West Yorkshire?
I grew up on chicken shops and Salah's is the goat. In terms of restaurants, Classic Persian is the best for me.
You’re not afraid of risk-taking and standing out, even going as far as painting yourself pink for one of your visuals - what advice would you give to any emerging artists who want to be as confident as you?
You have to be willing to embarrass yourself. The stuff that feels slightly uncomfortable, is usually the stuff that people remember.
And confidence doesn’t necessarily mean thinking you’re amazing. Sometimes it’s just being willing to say, “I don’t care if this is weird, I like it.”
It’s also it’s just more fun to feel like your outside of the box
Sophie Smith -
8th February 2022 
